The imperial city of Hue is not just famous for its citadels and pagodas. As a popular saying goes, “Hanoi has 36 streets, Hue has 36 kinds of sweet soup.”
The central city’s iconic che, as it is broadly known, is usually made from various kinds of beans and sometimes sticky rice, and can be served hot or cold as a dessert.
A particular feature of
There are two types of
But both reflect
It is very common for people drop into sidewalk shops run by street vendors in
Xich lo drivers drive tourists into narrow alleys where small shops serve even more delicious stuff for the same price.
The most popular che cung dinh dishes are che hat sen (lotus seed sweet soup; see photo), che hat sen long nhan (lotus seeds wrapped in longan pulp), and che dau ngu (kidney beans sweet soup).
The alleys sell a wide range of sweet soups, including che bap (corn sweet soup), che bot loc thit quay (sweet soup made from cassava flour and roasted pork), che khoai mon (taro), che chuoi (banana), and che buoi (sweet soup made from pomelo peel, green beans and cassava flour).
Hueans are proud of two ingredients that are unique to their sweet soup: lotus seeds and corn.
The best lotus seeds come from plants growing in
The best corn comes from a field in Con Hen (Clam Isle), a poor area where residents make their living mostly from fishing and farming.
The islet is now a popular tourist spot which has many food shops selling com hen (clam rice) and che bap.
Source: TT
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